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Siege of Pale
The Siege of Pale marked a turning point in the war on Genabackis. It lasted three yearsGardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.53, ending in late winterGardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.86 of the 1163rd year of Burn's SleepGardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.52. The besieged Pale had massive ancient stone walls the foundations of which were build on a huge glacial dump which covered the entire valley area. Below the city walls this rock pile filled a giant crevice reaching so far underground that even with magic it was hardly possible to find it's bottom.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.61 Pale's resident mages had allied themselves with Anomander Rake, the leader of the Tiste Andii. The presence of his fortress, Moon's Spawn, hanging a quarter-mile over the city being the reason that the siege had gone on for three years.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.61/66 The besiegers The combined Malazan 2nd and 6th armies under High Fist Dujek Onearm were the primary forces outside Pale. They were camped on the hillsides overlooking the plains outside the city. Rows of grey canvas tents had pathways between them and regimental standards were blowing in the wind. Braziers filled with burning horse dung would keep soldiers on watch warm.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.60/61 Part of the besieging army, the Bridgeburners, had been tasked with undermining the ancient walls, a somewhat impossible undertaking due to the nature of the geology beneath the walls.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.58/62 It was the Malazan belief that the Northern campaign of the 5th Malaz Army had drawn the majority of Moon Spawn's inhabitants away from the fortress, leaving the Lord of Moon's Spawn alone, however, as the Malaz 5th Army in the North Campaign was decimated and wouldn't get any reinforcements for some time, Rake might have his armies back at his disposal at Pale in the near future. Thus the decision was finally made to end the stalemate and attack the city.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.68 The final battle On the final day of the Siege, in late winter of the 1163rd year of Burn's Sleep, the 2nd Malaz Army received orders from Empress Laseen to attack Moon's SpawnGardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.66. She had sent a Claw to eliminate the city's mages as a precursor to the attackGardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.65, preventing them from helping any magic user still resident in Moon's Spawn. At the command meeting in the morning, Dujek informed his mages of the plan to attack.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.66 It was an overcast day with no wind stirring the midday air and the troops were being bitten by midges as they waited on the plain for the battle to commence.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.72 High Mage Tayschrenn led the sorcerous assault on Moon's Spawn. He was atop the hill closest to Moon's Spawn, while the three High Mages, Nightchill, Bellurdan, and A'Karonys, took the center hill. The 2nd army's mage cadre, composed of Tattersail, Hairlock, and Calot took the farthest hill. The 2nd and 6th Malaz Armies , seven thousand veterans and four thousand recruits, formed ranks on the plain and would march towards the city when ordered to do so. The Black Moranth legions lined the ridges to the west, a quarter mile awayGardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.72. When Tayschrenn began the assault, it became apparent that Moon's Spawn would not flee. The magic attack upon the fortress sent debris of stone flying into the city of Pale and into the Malazan forces on the plain. The first attack also dislodged a huge flock of Great Ravens which were nestled among the crags of the fortress, estimated by Hairlock to number thirty-thousand. Anomander Rake then appeared on a ledge of the fortress and opened his own warren of Kurald Galain.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.74/75 In the following battle, Hairlock was sliced in half by a wave of sorcery and Calot sacrificed himself to save Tattersail from an attack from behind.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.76 Nightchill was dismembered and partially devoured by a Kenryll'ah demon and in retaliation for his mate's death, Bellurdan crushed the skull of the demon.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.77. A'Karonys was first frozen solid, then crushed to dust by 'wings of ice'. Numerous sorcerous attacks launched from Moon's Spawn were deflected by Tayschrenn, causing huge damage amongst the massed armies of the 2nd and 5th, decimating them. His continued assaults sheared enourmous cliffs off the Moon's face which rained down on Pale causing death and chaos there as well.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.75-77 The soldiers in the field also came under attack from demons. After sustaining heavy damage, Moon's Spawn then retreated towards the Tahlyn Mountains. The City of Pale then fell. According to Tattersail, it took less than an hour from them getting ready for the unscheduled command meeting that morning, to Calot being incinerated. This timescale contradicts the observations made before the battle of 'no wind stirred the midday air. Given that the army had not yet been mobilized when the meeting was called, Tattersail's 'less than an hour' is best taken as a figure of speech.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.60Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.72 Aftermath The Moranth collectively enacted an hour of retribution where no one within the city of Pale was safe. The streets ran red with blood. 18,739 residents of Pale were purged, one for every confirmed Moranth death at the hands of PaleGardens of the Moon, Chapter 8, UK MMPB p.257 After the siege, and with Hairlock's dying breaths, Tattersail examined the placement of Hairlock and his wounds. The sorcery which cut down Hairlock came from the plain. It was Tattersail's belief that Tayschrenn had arranged the wiping out of his own mages and that he deliberately decimated Onearm's HostGardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.80/81. Anomander Rake later revealed that the Malazan assault would have been repelled had the wizards of Pale not fled. Notes and References Category:Battles